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If you're looking for something to do this week, you're only a click away from seeing what's happening. NorthernSpin.com can fill in the blanks for folks who love Michigan and want their inside connection to all Michigan events. Simple click here on the Event Calendar to see what's happening in your area or scroll down to see what lurks below. Thank you for checking us out and allowing NorthernSpin.com to be your source for finding all the happenings in Michigan. Be sure to put in your email so that we can keep ya updated, not in an annoying way, but through a pleasant email once in a while. Peace out my friends! - Brian Sweebe, Editor.

At a press conference held at 3:51PM EST, Motley Crue has announced their plans to retire the band after this tour. Keep in mind this is NOT a farewell tour but a FINAL Tour. What's the difference? Farewell tours have a tendency to have bands coming back. The Crue is adamant about this being the last stop for the band. When asked why now, Nikki Sixx said "Because we're on top, we want to leave a legacy behind..." He didn't want to mention any names, but he feels it's embarrassing what's going on in the music biz today.
How serious are they? Well, Vince, Nikki, Tommy, & Mick have all signed into a contract that will keep them from touring after this. It may take a year or two to finish the World Tour because they want to make sure everyone has an opportunity to see them one last time.

So what's their plan after the tour?Vince:Stay in the restaurant biz and continue to sing in various venues.Nikki:Continue with his band SIXX A.M. and his radio show.Tommy: Some big surprises he can't discuss right now.Mick:Work on his solo music and finish his book he's writing.
Look for more details about tour dates at www.motley.com. Rumor has it they will be stopping in Michigan at the Van Andel arena in Grand Rapids wsg Alice Cooper.

With the Detroit Auto Show going on it's easy to think of Detroit as the Motor Capital of the World, but do you ever stop and think about how much music has been produced by this same "beautiful" town? The talent, in the music industry, is endless. Alice Copper, Bob Seger, Madonna, Romantics (Flint), Stevie Wonder and all the Motown folks. The list goes on and on. What's my point? Well, Detroit is a city in the beginning stages of rebuilding, but through all the rumble, one thing is clear. Detroit not only spews out filth into the air, it bellows musical talents throughout the air waves."At least 38 Grammy Award winners and nominees from the past five years have a Detroit connection." - Stateside StaffSo say yes to Detroit. Next time your driving and you hear a catchy tune or a rockin' rif, just remember, chances are the vehicle and the song was "Made in Detroit"! Embrace the beauty this town has been offering you for decades. \m/ (>.<) \m/

It's nice to see, strike that, hear young musicians appreciate some great blues and rock. Boy can these boys play. Such a tight sound played with passion and focus. This Grand Rapids area based band is a must check out talent, and with this weekend only a few days away, you'll have an opportunity to check them out live at McDuff's in a little town South of Grand Rapids, called Wayland, Michigan. Stop on down and check these cats out this Friday and Saturday

To the live music lover (be it jazz, rock, country or blues), The B.O.B. would like to say,"Welcome H.O.M.E.!" The House Of Music & Entertainment is Grand Rapid's newest venue for outstanding live music. In the tradition of Sweet Wallace's and The Loading Dock, The B.O.B. is going back to its roots on the first floor. The room is rustic and casual, perfectly reflecting the warehouse origins of The B.O.B., while providing an appropriate atmosphere for the most beloved American musical genres. And speaking of classic Americana, don't forget H.O.M.E.'s new Bourbon Bar, featuring a limitless supply of bourbon and whiskey. With an easy going atmosphere, approachable menu, classic beverage list, and musical styles for everyone, H.O.M.E. is like your favorite old pair of jeans - it just fits! Fri - Sat: 8:00pm - 2:00am

This weekend - Drop 35 has to be the most versatile band in and around Michigan. From weddings to parties they are the best. Country music, rock, hip hop, anything, they can perform it.

One might call them “cautionary tales” long before the term “saints” ever came to mind; however, there is something devout about their bayou rock, a dirty, distinct sound they’ve zealously refined on their debut full-length, Death Letter Jubilee. Alternating between raucous melodies and slow-burning odes to the devil in his many forms, Ben Ringel (vocals/dobro), Dylan Fitch (guitar), David Supica (bass), and Ben Azzi (drums) explore themes of difficult love, the wanderer’s high road, and the moral low road using their unconscious fascination with the classical elements – earth, air, fire, and water – as a natural vehicle for their briny narratives. ~ By Emily J Ramey The Intersection welcomes Blackberry Smoke wsg The Delta Saint, Sunday Jan. 26th. Doors open @ 6:30p Show starts @ 7:00p

Jeff Daniels, the actor known for his cerebral roles in such programs as The Newsroom and his slightly less-than-cerebral turn in the film Dumb and Dumber, won’t be appearing at the City Opera House in Traverse City this January. Well, technically, Daniels will be onstage and performing at the Opera House. But it won’t be in his guise as a thespian, versed in and successful in movie, television and theatrical roles. Nor will Daniels the playwright or director be in evidence. It will just be Jeff Daniels with his guitar, singing his songs.

Well, that’s not really true. Daniels will be performing the songs he’s written and recorded over the past several years, but he’ll bring all the skills he’s honed over the course of his career as an entertainer into play. That includes his ability to memorize lines and improvise at the same time. As an illustration, he tells about his performance at the CMA Awards several years ago.

“Five or six years ago, I was invited to the CMA Awards show in Nashville,” he said. The powers that be had caught his show and thought it was amusing and a perfect fit for the show. They wanted Daniels to put all the nominated song titles in one song, and he obliged. But …

“About a third of the way through my mic goes out all of a sudden. I kept going, but they (the audience) hadn’t heard half the song. A stagehand came out and replaced my mic and suddenly I heard myself again. I said, you know what, I’m going to start over.” So without the benefit of a teleprompteror any other cues, Daniels sang the entire song again, “and I didn’t miss a word. Jeff Foxworthy was hosting, and he came over and said, ‘That’s the greatest save I’ve ever seen.’”

Daniels says his shows are planned out, but leave plenty of room for change or improvisation. While he knows that there’s a beginning, middle and end, his stories and repartee with the audience members make each show different. “I talk to the audience, and sometimes they talk back,” he said. “It’s fun, I enjoy that. You break that fourth wall between performer and audience.

“I went to see Utah Phillips once. He was a remarkable entertainer. His first song was 25 minutes long, he’d go off on spontaneous side tracks. We had the same manager, and I told him (my manager), ‘I’ve never seen somebody improvise so smartly.’ He said, ‘It’s all written.’ That’s kind of what’s happened with me. These (songs and shows) are road tested.”

Daniels says the music and his low-key style perfectly complement one another. He’s an accomplished fingerstyle guitarist, but says he is never satisfied. “I can always get better. Stefan Grossman, Kelly Joe Phelps – I’ll never get there. If I’m rehearsed enough, I can trick myself. I can play pretty well, and also entertain you.”

The chance to sing his own songs rather than speak lines in a movie or show and not know how they’ll end up is a big draw for Daniels. “The biggest thing is you have complete control. You don’t hand it off to anybody,” he said.

Daniels has now released five CDs, but it all began like this show: As a fundraiser. He wanted to raise money for his theater in Chelsea, the Purple Rose. Now he’s doing the same for the City Opera House.

“I’m a big fan of opera houses,” he said. “It’s like you go back in time a little bit.

Tickets for the 7:30 p.m. show Thursday, Jan. 23 are $32 and $40. City Opera House Circle Seats are $125 and include a private after-party with Daniels to benefit City Opera House. Immediately following the show, those ticketholders are invited to Seven Monks Taproom where they’ll receive VIP seating with two complimentary drinks, and a photo op and private meet ’n’ greet with Daniels. Only 125 City Opera House Circle Seats are available.

InsideOut Gallery in Traverse City, MI is always finding new, fun & interacting ways to keep you company this winter season. From concerts to music and from Art gallery to Cinema, Inside Out has all you need to escape the winter blahs. Be sure to check out their site for more details www.insideouttc.com and like them on Facebook so that you can stay in the up-to-date loop.

InsideOut gallery is one of the largest art galleries in the mid-west. Housed in an old furniture warehouse building & located within the burgening Warehouse District in Traverse City, MI, we are right downtown- but "Way Off the beaten Path.

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